The Stepanek vs Tipsarevic Middle Finger Incident

What are your thoughts on what happened at the end of this fantastic Davis Cup 5 setter? There is footage as well as still images of Stepanek doing something squirrelly with his hand during the post-match handshake. You can see him kind of jam his middle finger into Tipsy's palm. I have read that this is a sign of disrespect in some cultures.

Tipsy gets very upset as you can see in this video. He later posts on his twitterabout it. Culture or no culture, if someone plays finger games with me at the end of the match, then abruptly turns his back to me and walks away, I'd be upset too. But, at some point you have to let it go. Stepanek was obviously upset for losing this close match after having several match points and did this in a state of anger.

Tipsy is well known for being a follower of Nietzsche and even has Nietzsche tattoos. I have seen reference to this famous quote that could serve Tipsarevic well right about now:

"Let us stop thinking so much about punishing, reproaching, and improving others! We rarely change an individual, and if we should succeed for once, something may also have been accomplished, unnoticed: we may have been changed by him. Let us rather see to it that our own influence on all that is yet to come balances and outweighs his influence. Let us not contend in a direct fight - and that is what all reproaching, punishing, and attempts to improve others amount to. Let us rather raise ourselves that much higher. Let us color our own example ever more brilliantly. Let our brilliance make them look dark. No, let us not become darker ourselves on their account, like all those who punish others and feel dissatisfied. Let us sooner step aside. Let us look away." - Nietzsche

Ah, Nietzsche! When did he write this, before he wrote about the Superman or Will to Power. I am not a follower of Nietzsche but found Schopenhauer, Nietzsche's predecessor and idol, to be very convincing.

So are you saying Tipsarevic should've looked away or step aside? Not with those tattoos.

Tipsarevic doesn't strike me as someone that would just walk away. Too bad the incident happened, pretty low class, but haven't we started seeing a lot of low class things happening lately in general? Seems like a lot of people need to start going to an anger management seminar or something.

Yeah, but tennis needs a villain, no? Can Stepanek step up and be that a$$hole that we all want to see? My thought is that he is not quite good enough. I want to nominate Berdych as our new villain. Anyone?

P.S. CHECK OUT THE NEW VIDEO I ADDED AT THE TOP. BEST SHOTS OF THE FINGER JAM HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD.

I don't know. I keep replaying the video and I just don't see a middle finger being raised. Looks like Tipsarevic's thumb is raised and perhaps Stepanek had his middle finger tucked in and that is what Janko felt.

Tipsarevic isn't quite the gem himself. He's said this in an interview: ""Agassi was my idol, but he really disappointed me when he married Steffi." [Tipsarevic was] asked to comment on Kournikova: "She isn't all that beautiful, it's just the other female players are just so ugly. I've never seen at least pretty tennis player, except Sabatini." "I know there are some homosexual male players, but I try not to have any contact with them. And as for women, I know Mauresmo is a pervert."